Where to Find and How to Access TN Arrest Records

It is important to know that Tennessee is a “closed record” state, meaning that a lot of information on criminal background is not available to the general public. The Freedom of Information Act covers certain types of information, but it is difficult to obtain complete records from the state of Tennessee.

In addition to keeping most records closed, TN does not certify copies of criminal histories. This protects individuals from having their records searched without their permission. If you are applying for a job in another state and the employer requires a TN criminal background check, the employer must contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation before a check can be performed.

Reasons to Search Arrest Records

There are many reasons why a person would want to search TN arrest records. If you are thinking of going into business with a partner, looking into his or her criminal background might be a good idea. If you are thinking of hiring a contractor to do any type of work for you, you may be able to save yourself time, money, and heartache by conducting a criminal background check.

Employers are frequently requesting Tennessee arrest records before they hire someone, even if they are not based in the state of Tennessee. If the potential employee ever lived in Tennessee and has been convicted of a crime, their information will be available by request from the bureau of investigation.

Other information besides TN arrest records is available as well. Misdemeanor criminal offenses, civil offenses, lawsuits, and fraud charges are all public information with certain restrictions. A criminal background check in Tennessee should include this information as well.

Tennessee provides a Meth Offender Registry Database, which is important to search if you are thinking of renting property to an unknown person. You may search by the person’s last name, or if you know that he or she was convicted of a meth offense in Tennessee, you may search by the county of offense. Offenders convicted after March 30, 2005 are required by TN law to register with the database. More information can be obtained by visiting http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/methor/.

How to Obtain Arrest Records in Tennessee

The state of Tennessee maintains a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation where the public may obtain TN arrest records for a fee. An official application must be completed and submitted with a $29 fee, which can be payable by credit card, money order, or cashier’s check.

If you have a valid email address, the results of the Tennessee background check will be emailed to you. You may also request the report to be mailed to you. For requests from states other than Tennessee, there is an additional fee for postage. Visit http://www.tbi.state.tn.us/tbibackgrounds/background_checks.htm for more information on the processes and fees and for access to the official forms.

Information You'll Find in TN Arrest Records

Records on Tennessee arrests can contain any or all of the following information, depending on individual history:

•    Legal names and known aliases
•    Known addresses, including work addresses
•    Height, weight, hair and eye color
•    Distinguishing marks, including tattoos and scars, if known
•    Sex offender information (if the person is a registered sex offender)
•    Texas criminal convictions
•    Texas criminal driving violations
•    Federal criminal records
•    Misdemeanor and felony information
•    Arrests, including mug shots if they are available
•    Probation information
•    Amount paid in fines

A Tennessee criminal search may include the exact case number, the charges brought and the offenses committed, disposition details, sentencing and time served. Since Tennessee is a closed records state, some of this information may be missing or incomplete. It may be worth your time to visit the county courthouse if you find suspicious information and conduct a search yourself.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation only maintains information on people who have been arrested in Tennessee or who have committed crimes in Tennessee. Name-based criminal history checks are performed for the general public. You may call (304) 625-5590 to obtain a criminal background check that covers more than the state of Tennessee. An FBI request costs $18 and must be submitted with a written request for information from the FBI.

Online Resources

The TBI also maintains the Tennessee Criminal Justice Directory where you can search for law enforcement and judicial representatives throughout the state. This search function is useful if you would like to obtain biographical information on law enforcement agents or those who are employed by the parole and probation divisions of the state. It is available by clicking http://www.tbi.state.tn.us/CJ_directory/CJ_search.htm.

To access the Tennessee sex offender registry, the AMBER alert system, and to conduct background checks on Tennessee residents, visit http://www.tbi.state.tn.us/divisions/Criminal%20Investigation%20Division.htm. Here you will also find information on Tennessee’s most wanted criminals and missing children who are listed in the database.

Historical records for Tennessee inmates are archived and may be requested by mail. Visit http://www.state.tn.us/correction/public/archive&http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/sentence.html for the most current mailing address and fax number. There is a charge of 15 cents per page for photocopies, and you should not send payment with your request.

Sentencing information is also available for current and historic prisoners in Tennessee. You might want to obtain this information if you would like to know when the prisoner will be/has been released or the number of good time credits an inmate has earned. Written requests should be submitted to the Tennessee Department of Correction Sentence Information Services.

Felony offenders who are in the custody of Tennessee state police or who are out on parole or probation are also stored in a database which can be searched free of charge. To search for a Tennessee inmate, visit http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/foil/foil_index.jsp;jsessionid=K68D7IBjU7gfE7u2ss. This search function will not supply a complete criminal background check, but current and former TN inmates can be searched for basic information such as height, weight, age, gender, charges, and mug shots.

If you discover during your TN arrest search that charges were brought against someone and a trial was held, you may search for docket information from http://www.tsc.state.tn.us/. Court records and court information is available through this website, and it includes the latest news from Tennessee corrections and district courts.